Browsing by Author "Fonseca, Benjamim"
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- BIZZY : a social game for entrepreneurship educationPublication . Fonseca, Benjamim; Gonçalves, Ramiro Manuel Ramos Moreira; Nunes, Ricardo Rodrigues; Teixeira, Mário Sérgio; Paredes, Hugo; Morgado, Leonel; Martins, PauloEntrepreneurship education is increasingly being promoted, driven by a wide consensus in modern societies concerning its benefits in fostering the development of several professional and personal attitudes and skills, such as business expertise, creativity, risk assessment or responsibility. In this context, several authorities have been actively developing policies and activities to empower entrepreneurship culture in young people. Serious Games are recognized as having an important role and potential in education and social networks emerged in the last decade as the platform preferred by many people to socialize, play games or conduct professional activities. This paper presents a proposal for BIZZY, a serious game to be developed and implemented as a Facebook application, to enable young people in the range 12-18 years old to learn entrepreneurial skills progressively, by guiding them to develop a business project from the early idea to the business plan.
- A bot spooler architecture to integrate virtual worlds with e-learning management systems for corporate trainingPublication . Morgado, Leonel; Paredes, Hugo; Fonseca, Benjamim; Martins, Paulo; Almeida, Álvaro; Vilela, Andreas; Peixinho, Filipe; Santos, ArnaldoJoining efforts of academic and corporate teams, we developed an integration architecture - MULTIS - that enables corporate e-learning managers to use a Learning Management System (LMS) for management of educational activities in virtual worlds. This architecture was then implemented for the Formare LMS. In this paper we present this architecture and concretizations of its implementation for the Second Life Grid/OpenSimulator virtual world platforms. Current systems are focused on activities managed by individual trainers, rather than groups of trainers and large numbers of trainees: they focus on providing the LMS with information about educational activities taking place in a virtual world and/or being able to access within the virtual world some of the information stored in the LMS, and disregard the streamlining of activity setup and data collection in multi-trainer contexts, among other administrative issues. This architecture aims to overcome the limitations of existing systems for organizational management of corporate e-learning activities.
- Bringing user experience empirical data to gesture-control and somatic interaction in virtual reality videogames: an exploratory study with a multimodal interaction prototypePublication . Fernandes, Luís; Nunes, Ricardo Rodrigues; Matos, Gonçalo; Azevedo, Diogo; Pedrosa, Daniela; Morgado, Leonel; Paredes, Hugo; Barbosa, Luís; Fonseca, Benjamim; Martins, Paulo; Cardoso, Bernardo; Carvalho, Fausto deWith the emergence of new low-cost gestural interaction devices various studies have been developed on multi-modal human-computer interaction to improve user experience. We present an exploratory study which analysed the user experience with a multimodal interaction game prototype. As a result, we propose a set of preliminary recommendations for combined use of such devices and present implications for advancing the multimodal field in human-computer interaction.
- Collaboration in 3D virtual worlds : a protocol for case study researchPublication . Cruz, Armando; Paredes, Hugo; Fonseca, Benjamim; Martins, Paulo; Morgado, LeonelThree-dimensional virtual worlds have been growing fast in number of users, and are used for the most diverse purposes. In collaboration, they are used with good results due to features such as immersion, interaction capabilities, use of avatar embodiment, and physical space. In the particular cases of avatar embodiment and physical space, these features support nonverbal communication, but its impact on collaboration is not well known. In this work we present a protocol for case study research and its creation process, which aims to assert itself as a tool to collect data on how nonverbal communication influences collaboration in three-dimensional virtual worlds. We define the propositions and units of analysis, and a pilot case to validate them. Then, two cases are analysed under the created protocol. Most of the propositions found chains of evidences supporting them.
- Collaboration in 3D virtual worlds: designing a protocol for case study researchPublication . Cruz, Armando; Paredes, Hugo; Fonseca, Benjamim; Martins, Paulo; Morgado, LeonelThree-dimensional virtual worlds (3DVW) have been growing fast in number of users, and are used for the most diverse purposes. In collaboration, 3DVW are used with good results due to features such as immersion, interaction capabilities, use of avatar embodiment, and physical space. In the particular cases of avatar embodiment and physical space, these features support nonverbal communication, but its impact on collaboration is not well known. In this work we present the initial steps for creation of a protocol for case study research, aiming to assert itself as a tool to collect data on how nonverbal communication influences collaboration in 3DVW. We define the propositions and units of analysis, and a pilot case to validate them.
- Computer-simulated 3D virtual environments in collaborative learning and training: meta-review, refinement, and roadmapPublication . Correia, António; Fonseca, Benjamim; Paredes, Hugo; Martins, Paulo; Morgado, Leonel
- Development of a mechanical maintenance training simulator in OpenSimulator for F-16 aircraft enginesPublication . Pinheiro, André; Fernandes, Paulo; Maia, Ana Margarida; Cruz, Gonçalo; Pedrosa, Daniela; Fonseca, Benjamim; Paredes, Hugo; Martins, Paulo; Morgado, Leonel; Rafael, JorgeMechanical maintenance of F-16 engines is carried out as a team effort involving 3 to 4 skilled engine technicians. This paper presents the development of a mechanical maintenance simulator for their training. This simulator aims to enable technician training to be enhanced with cooperation and context prior to the training phase with actual physical engines. We describe the requirements that were identified with the Portuguese Air Force, the overall software architecture of the system, the current stage of the prototype, and the outcomes of the first field tests with users.
- Enhancing students’ motivation to learn software engineering programming techniques: a collaborative and social interaction approachPublication . Nunes, Ricardo Rodrigues; Pedrosa, Daniela; Fonseca, Benjamim; Paredes, Hugo; Cravino, José; Morgado, Leonel; Martins, PauloTo motivate students to study advanced programming techniques, including the use of architectural styles such as the model–view–controller pattern, we have con-ducted action research upon a project based-learning approach. In addition to collabo-ration, the approach includes students’ searching and analysis of scientific documents and their involvement in communities of practice outside academia. In this paper, we report the findings of second action research cycle, which took place throughout the fourth semester of a six-semester program. As with the previous cycle during the pre-vious academic year, students did not satisfactorily achieve expected learning out-comes. More groups completed the assigned activities, but results continue to reflect poor engagement in the communities of practice and very low performance in other learning tasks. From the collected data we have identified new approaches and recom-mendations for subsequent research.
- Exploring educational immersive videogames : an empirical study with a 3D multimodal interaction prototypePublication . Fernandes, Luís Miguel Alves; Matos, Gonçalo Cruz; Azevedo, Diogo; Nunes, Ricardo Rodrigues; Paredes, Hugo; Morgado, Leonel; Barbosa, Luís; Martins, Paulo; Fonseca, Benjamim; Cristóvão, Paulo; Carvalho, Fausto de; Cardoso, BernardoGestural interaction devices emerged and originated various studies on multimodal human-computer interaction to improve user experience. However, there is a knowledge gap regarding the use of these devices to enhance learning. We present an exploratory study which analysed the user experience with a multimodal immersive videogame prototype, based on a Portuguese historical/cultural episode. Evaluation tests took place in high school environments and public videogaming events. Two users would be present simultaneously in the same virtual reality environment: one as the helmsman aboard Vasco da Gama’s XV-century Portuguese ship, another as the mythical Adamastor stone giant at the Cape of Good Hope. The helmsman player wore a virtual reality headset to explore the environment, whereas the giant player used body motion to control the giant, and observed results on a screen, with no headset. This allowed a preliminary characterization of user experience, identifying challenges and potential use of these devices in multi-user virtual learning contexts. We also discuss the combined use of such devices, towards future development of similar systems, and its implications on learning improvement through multimodal human-computer interaction.
- Exploring the usage of 3D virtual worlds and kinect interaction in exergames with elderlyPublication . Paredes, Hugo; Cassola, Fernando; Morgado, Leonel; Carvalho, Fausto de; Ala, Silvia; Cardoso, Francisco; Fonseca, Benjamim; Martins, PauloThe combination of the potentialities of the interactive technologies, like exergames and the emerging motion capture devices with the ability of 3D virtual worlds for socialisation and context, can produce a platform to promote the physical activity of its users, which leverages its potential. The OnlineGym is an exploratory project based on an online 3D virtual worlds platform that allows users to interact with the system through the use of a motion capture device. This paper discusses the chosen technological approaches and the preliminary results of the experiments performed with users.